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ySTRATED BY 

WALTER 
SATTER^LEE 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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^a mod efTf Ballade 

BfJosEPriiNE Pollard. 



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COPYRIGHT 1881 BY ANSON DT RANDOLPHS CO. 



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THE DECORATIVE SISTERS: 

A MODERN BALLAD. ^^ 



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BY '^33 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

WALTER SATTERLEE. 



I. 

Dorothea and Dorinda were two clever English lasses, 
Who lived from London city not a thousand miles away, 

Where the buttercups and daisies grew so thick amid the grasses 
In summer-time the ground appeared like one immense bouquet 

n. 

Dorothea fed the chickens, and attended to the dairy. 
And in such domestic duties was her happiness complete ; 

While Dorinda was within the house a veritable fairy, 

Whose bread and cakes and pies and things were, oh ! so nice to eat. 

in. 

Their parents were the very, very plainest kind of people. 

Their home an humble cottage, shaded well with English oaks, 

And they worshiped in a little church with hardly any steeple. 
And went to bed at nine o'clock like honest country-folks 






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I Dorothea fed the chickens, and 
attended to the dairy, 
And in such domestic duties 
was her happiness com- 
plete ; 
While Dorinda was within the 
house a veritable fairy, 

Whose bread and cakes and 
pies and things were, oh ! 
so nice to eat. '" 



IV. 

One day as Dorothea, with her sleeves rolled up, was busy 

In the milk-house, singing as she skimmed the ivory-tinted cream. 

She heard a step beside her and immediately grew dizzy, 
And, as any other woman would, she gave a little scream. 

V. 

He said — it was a man, of course ! — *' I humbly beg your pardon 
For such a bold intrusion " — here he made a bow grotesque — 
But I am an artist, madam, and would like to sketch your garden, 
And the pastoral scenes about me — so intensely picturesque ' " 

VI. 

Dorothea stood a moment in a roseate reflection. 

While the artist was preparing his umbrella to unfurl. 

To herself she softly whispered, " I have surely no objection ; " 
To himself he softly whispered, "What a very lovely girl !" 



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One day as Dorothea, with her sleeves 
rolled up, was busy 

In the milk-house, singing as she 
skimmed the ivory-tinted cream, 

She heard a step beside her and im- 
mediately grew dizzy. 

And, as any other woman would, 
she gave a little scream. 




VII. 

"That attitude ! ah, such repose !" then all at once he missed her, 
For Dorothea never having seen his like before, 

Was not a little flustered, and ran in to tell her sister, 

And both together watched him from behind the kitchen-door. 

VIII. 

'Twas overhung with pretty vines that made a wild endeavor 
To hide the modest maidens w^ell behind their leafy screen, 

But the frame-work only made the picture handsomer than ever. 
And added what the artist needed to perfect the scene. 

IX. 

When he began his sketches, Dorothea and Dorinda 

Recovered from their shyness — he was very sure they would — 

And looking slyly at them in a way they could not hinder, 
The artist made a picture of them both just as they stood. 



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'Twas overhung with pretty 
vines that made a wild 
endeavor 

To hide the modest maid- 
ens well behind their 
leafy screen, 
But the frame-work only made 
the picture handsomer 
than ever, 
And added what the artist 
needed to perfect the 
scene. 



X. 

And then he showed it to them. They, astonished and delighted, 
Made haste to let their parents share their joy, you may suppose, 

And the old folks smiling pleasantly most cordially invited 
The artist to remain with them what length of time he chose. 




And then he showed it to them. They, 
astonished and delighted, 

Made haste to let their parent share 
their joy, you may suppose, 

And the old folks smiling pleasantly 
most cordially invited 
The artist to remain with them what 
length of time he chose. 



XL 

He lingered through the summer, and the autumn, for the weather 
Was delightful, and he really had no yearning to depart ; 

Dorothea and Dorinda were his pupils, and together 
They wandered through the labyrinths of Decorative Art. 



He lingered through the summer, and the 
autumn, for the weather 

Was delightful, and he really had no yearn- 
ing to depart ; 

Dorothea and Dorinda were his pupils, and 
together 

They wandered through the labyrinths of 
Decorative Art. 




XII. 

They decorated pots and pans — whate'er the house afforded ; 

They daubed the mirror over with some intricate design ; 
And rummaged through the garret, where all Sorts of things were hoarded, 

And sat before an ugly plaque as if it were a shrine. 



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They decorated pots and pans — whate'er the 
house afforded ; 
They daubed the mirror over with some in- 
tricate design ; 

And rummaged through the garret, where all 
sorts of things were hoarded, 

And sat before an ugly plaque as if it were a 
shrine. 



XIII. 

Dorothea was no longer interested in the churning, 

Her mother, made the butter, and her father rtiilked the cows ; 

While Dorinda not discerning that the bread and cakes were burning, 
Would pose in languid attitudes with elevated brows. 

XIV. 

Then naught would do but they must go to London for a season, 
To see the sights, and note the styles, and learn each pretty phrase 

Which chanced to be in fashion. You'd have thought they'd lost their reason, 
Had you happened to observe the two on their ^Esthetic craze. 



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Dorothea was no longer interested in the 
churning, 

Her mother made the butter, and her father 
milked the cows ; 

While Dorinda not discerning that the bread 
and cakes were burning, 

Would pose in languid attitudes with ele- 
vated brows. 

Then naught would do but they must go to 
London for a season, 

To see the sights, and note the styles, and 
learn each pretty phrase 
Which chanced to be in fashion. You'd have 
thought they'd lost their reason 

Had you happened to observe the two on 
their Esthetic craze. 



XV. 

They wore the queerest dresses, and the most outlandish bonnets, 
More ancient than their manners, which were altogether new ; 

And their language ! You would never find it in the choicest sonnets, 
Twas too sumptuously-sumptuous — too awfully too-too ! 

XVI. 

They would gaze upon a lily so " unutterably utter," 

With eyes distended wide as if the blossom they'd devour ; 

Twas easy to believe they had relinquished bread and butter. 
And really lived on nothing more substantial than a flower. 




They would gaze upon a lily, so ''un- 
utterably utter,*' 

With eyes distended wide as if the 
blossom they'd devour ; 

Twas easy to believe they had relin- 
quished bread and butter, 

And really lived on nothing more sub- 
stantial than a flower. 



XVII. 

The hollyhock was ''sweetly sweet/* a " lovelv-love " the daisy , 
Each shibboleth the sisters would delightedly repeat, 

While a stork upon a spindle-shank would drive them nearly crazy, 
And zig-zag lines of crewel-work quite take them off their feet 

XVIII. 

They would start with joy ecstatic to behold a peacock's feather ; 

A cobweb in a corner would occasion wild delight ; 
And if they saw a sunflower they would clasp their hands together, 

And stand amazed as if it were a most enchanting sight. 

XIX. 

Returning to their countr}' home, these maidens so ^-Esthetic 
Remodeled all the dishes that were on the pantry^ shelves, 

And laid hands upon their mother, and their father so athletic, 

And dressed them up so strangely that they hardly knew themselves. 

XX. 

They went to church on Sunday and surprised the congregation ; 

The little boys were much amused, the older folks perplexed, 
And the minister, who smiled at first, then frowned disapprobation, 

Was bothered with his sermon, and kept wandering from the text. 

XXI. 

For a sight so " utterly utter " was a novel exhibition, 
Distracting to the preacher and distracting to the pews, 

But the Decorative Sisters were well pleased with their position 
And felt 'twas an occasion too " sweetly sweet " to lose. 

XXII. 

Dorothea watched the pastor with expression most adoring, 
While Dorinda fixed her eyes upon a region far away, 

But came to earth again when she caught her father snoring, 
And gave him such a pinching that he yelled to her dismay. 




The hollyhock was ** sweetly sweet," a " lovely- 
love " the daisy ; 
Each shibboleth the sisters would delightedly 
repeat, 
While a stork upon a spindle-shank would drive 
them nearly crsizy^ 
And zig-zag lines of crewel-work quite take 
them off their feet. 

They would stare with joy ecstatic to behold a 
peacock's feather ; 
A cobweb in a corner would occasion wild de- 
^ light ; 
And if they saw a sunflower they would clasp 
their hands together, 
And stand amazed as if it were a most enchant- 
ing sight. 







They went to church on Sunday and 
surprised the congregation ; 

The little boys were much amused, 
the older folks perplexed, 

And the minister, who smiled at first, /^ 

then frowned disapprobation, '' ^ '-c 

Was bothered with his sermon, and 
kept wandering from the text 



Returning to their country home, these 

maidens so i£sthetic 
Remodeled all the dishes that were on 

the pantry shelves. 
And laid hands upon their mother, and 

their father so athletic. 

And dressed them up so strangely that 
they hardly kaew themselves. 








For a sight so *' utterly utter** was a novel 
exhibition, 

Distracting to the preacher and distract- 
ing to the pews, 

But the Decorative Sisters were well pleased 
with their position 
And felt 'twas an occasion too '* sweetly 
sweet " to lose. 



XXIII. 

Dorinda took a lily ; Dorothea took a daisy 

As her emblem ; and were thus adorned whenever they went out, 
And the village folks, so ignorant ! declared they must be crazy. 

Or the silliest of the silly — which you'll not pretend to doubt. 

XXIV. 

The Decorative Sisters were so mystically mystic — 
So whimsically whimsey — so intensively intense — 

That those who did not know 'twas ^Esthetic and Artistic, 

Would surely think that neither had a grain of common sense. 




The Decorative Sisters were so mystically 
mystic, — 

So whimsically whimsey — so intense- 
ively intense, — 

That those who did not know 'twas Es- 
thetic and Artistic, 

Would surely think that neither had a 



gfrain of common sense. 




XXV. 

Dorinda wed an artist — and 'twas not the least surprising 
That he used her as a model — for she had a pretty shape — 

And so many hours daily was she attitudinizincr, 

That she wearied of it truly, and would fain have made escape, 

XXVI. 

" I've just received an order for a high-art window curtain," 
Her husband would remark to her with customary smile, ' 

" And you will have to pose for me, Dorinda, that is certain, 
Your costume a la Grecque, with hair in corresponding style," 

XXVII. 

She posed for screens and portieres — she held the fateful lily — 
In tragedy or comedy, whate'er the mood might be, 

No matter how she felt herself, 'twas always willy-nilly, 
And ,how to keep from posing was a poser as you see. 

XXVIII. 

She wished to be a model wife, but not in artist-fashion ; 

Her '• utter-utter " weariness of posturing was such 
That her love of the ^Esthetic soon became a worn-out passion, 

And Dorinda found it hard to rave and rhapsodize so much. 







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Doririda wed an artist — an<i 'twas not the 
least surprising 
That he used her as a model — for she 
had a pretty shape, — 
And so many hours daily was she atti- 
tudinizing, 
That she wearied of it truly, and would 
Kaixi have made escape. 



XXIX. 

She longed to be away from all the crowded city places, 

Away from all the high-art shows where heartlessness prevailed, 

Away from all the idiotic, genuflexions and grimaces 
That seemed so very silly, now her interest had failed. 

XXX. 

She longed to be among the fields where daisies starred the grasses ; 

She longed to see her early home beneath the English oaks, 
And in her dreams she'd visions of the simple little lasses 

Who went to bed at nine o'clock like honest country-folks. 








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She longed to be among the fields 
where daisies starred the 
grasses ; 

She longed to see her early 

home beneath the English 

oaks, 
And in her dreams she'd visions 

of the simple little lasses 
Who went to bed at nine o'clock 

like honest country-folks. 




XXXI. 

-Dorothea wed a farmer, one who long had loved her truly, 

And though not at all a'Esthetic, thought the maiden '*' s^veetly sweet," 

And having told his passion Hke an honest fellow, duly 
With decorum laid his fortunes at her Decorative feet 

XXXII. 

At first, I must confess it, she'd a certain high-art notion 
'Twould be to her advantage rustic lovers to discard, 

But underneath her bodice was a terrible commotion 

That let her know the sacrifice would be extremely hard. 

XXXIII. 

And so she listened to her heart which strove to guide her rightly. 
And when before the altar said with emphasis " I will ! " — 

And in her pretty cottage home goes singing ever brightly, 
While the kitchen and the dairy give fresh tokens of her skill. 



Dorothea wed a fanner, one who long 
had loved her truly, 

And though not at all Esthetic, 
thought the maiden " sweetly 
sweet," 

And having told his passion like an 
honest fellow, duly 

With decorum laid his fortunes at 
her Decorative feet. 





XXXIV. 

If you should ever meet her vou would smile at the idea 
Of her being " utterly utter" or in any way intense, 

For a plain good-natured farmer's wife is Mistress Dorothea, 
Who has a reputation for uncommon common-sense. 

XXXV. 

And in the pleasant summer-time when daisies are in blossom, 
And hollyhocks and roses stand in luminous arrav, 

Dorinda walks among them with white lilies in her bosom, 
With slow and weary footsteps, looking pale and wan as they. 

XXXVI. 

As the Decorative Sisters wander arm in arm together, 
And their maiden meditations and absurdities review, 

A single glance at them, I'm sure, will soon convince you whether 
Dorothea or Dorinda is the happier of the two. 



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As the Decorative Sisters wander arm 
in arm together, 
And their maiden meditations and 
absurdities review, 
A single glance at them, Tm sure, will 
soon convince you whether 
Dorothea or Dorinda is the happi- 
er of the two. 



Drawn on Stone £^ printed 

]YeMPL€ & Co'mpany: 
ArtLithographers. 

New York • 



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